Ella B. Holmes White (December 18, 1856 – January 31, 1942) was an American woman who was a survivor of the sinking of the RMS ''Titanic''.

Biography

Ella Bertha Holmes was born on December 18, 1856, in New York, the daughter of Edwin Holmes and Eliza Ann Richardson. She had two brothers and a sister. Holmes later moved to

Briarcliff Manor, New York Briarcliff Manor () is a suburban village in Westchester County, New York, north of New York City. It is on of land on the east bank of the Hudson River, geographically shared by the towns of Mount Pleasant and Ossining. Briarcliff Manor in ...

, staying at the Briarcliff Lodge (her apartment was The Oak Room), and when in New York City she would stay at the

Waldorf-Astoria The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schult ...

or the Plaza Hotel. On December 12, 1894, she married John Stuart White. White died on May 19, 1897. Holmes never remarried. Until her death she lived and travelled with Marie Grice Young, a piano teacher and fellow ''Titanic'' survivor whose pupils included the children of President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

. Ella Holmes White died in New York City on January 31, 1942 whilst living at the Plaza Hotel (with Young). Her will left to Young, personal effects and life estate in a trust to yield US$250 ($ in dollars) per month for life. Historian

Jonathan Ned Katz Jonathan Ned Katz (born 1938) is an American historian of human sexuality who has focused on same-sex attraction and changes in the social organization of sexuality over time. His works focus on the idea, rooted in social constructionism, that t ...

has suggested that Holmes had an intimate relationship with Marie Grice Young, in a time when same-sex relationships were usually kept very quiet.

''Titanic''

Ella Holmes White boarded the ''Titanic'' at Cherbourg with her maid Amelia Bissette and manservant Sante Ringhini. She travelled first class sharing a cabin with Marie Young. They also brought along some exotic French-bred chickens, intending to keep them at their New York country home. White and her maid were rescued in lifeboat 8. Her manservant Sante Ringhini died. She later testified before the American Inquiry that the ''Titanic'' had broken in two before sinking.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:White, Ella Holmes 1856 births 1942 deaths RMS Titanic's crew and passengers People from Briarcliff Manor, New York RMS Titanic survivors